Civic [ir]responsibility: Historic Bath Island Mary Road left dug up by utility

Construction of apartment building adds to debris and nuisance.

KARACHI: Just outside the late Ardeshir Cowasjee's house, the historic Mary Road in Bath Island has been left dug up after a utility laid gas pipelines.

This has made traffic and parking even more difficult as debris and construction material for a new apartment building has already been clogging up the route for quite some time.

Nearly two weeks ago, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) tore apart 400 yards of the road to lay new pipelines. But when the utility wrapped up its work, it failed to get the road re-covered.



One of the residents facing trouble is Syed Nizam Shah, who has been living in the area since 1985. "I have complained to the utility company to clean up the debris and make the roads again, but we have yet to see this happening," he said.

He told The Express Tribune that he had been given assurances by an SSGC general manager but nothing had materialised.

Shah added that once the pipes were laid SSGC refilled the trenches but the road was not repaved and the rubble still lies in front of his house. This means that it is difficult for people to park here as well.

The historic Mary Road has been home to people such as Minoo Marker and Jamshed Marker, Jamil Bugti and Ava Cowasjee, and in 2009 there was even talk of the city declaring it a protected heritage.

For its part, an SSGC spokesperson said that work was in progress. Some debris has been removed; the rest would be done away with soon after the work is completed. He said that the utility has paid the road cutting charges to the relevant authority.

All roads technically fall in the jurisdiction of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Road cutting charges can, according to spokesman Ali Hassan Sajid, vary from Rs345 to Rs382 per square yard.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2013.